Dueling Ambitions
by Heaven's Warrior
Summary: Japan gets involved in Chinese affairs as a new threat draws closer to the land of Asia. Many share mixed feelings about their new allies offering their swords to the Emperor. The furious five and Po nust stop this unknown threat as Crane struggles to confess his love for Viper.
1. The Calm Before the Storm

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoy the story and I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Please feel free to criticize so I can make the stories better and more interesting. Also if you want to comment on something you liked or didn't like please don't hesitate to do so. Also there are going to be some pairings including Ti/Po, and Vi/Cr as well as a few references and appearences of characters from the first and second movies and LOA show. Lastly this first chapter is the intro so it wont have the pairings yet. Thats the second chapter! Now onto the main event!**

**Disclaimer****: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of my imagination or used in a fictitious way. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental. I do not own Kung Fu Panda or any of its characters, locations, etc, in any way. DreamWorks owns Kung Fu Panda. Duh!**

"This cannot be happening!" muttered a certain Kung fu warrior who was getting increasingly frustrated as he scrambled to find a few unused scrolls in his room.

It was getting really stuffy in there despite the window being open but he wasn't worried about that right now. The panicking warrior became a flash of black and white fur as he rummaged around for what seemed like an eternity until he finally found what he needed.

Po Ping, otherwise known as the dragon warrior, had been busy doing chores for his father while he was away on a business trip. Ordinarily this would have been fine; except today he was supposed to attend an important meeting at the Jade Palace. Po forgot all about the meeting and absentmindedly agreed to take care of his father's chores only to later remember that the meeting was on the same day.

Shifu had personally instructed Po to write down any important information that would be said during the meeting. He also remembered his master saying that the meeting was at noon and under no circumstance should the panda be late. Unfortunately for Po, he only remembered the meeting just as he was finishing up his chores. This currently left the panda scouring his room in search for something to write on. He had found two writing scrolls rather quickly and now just needed one more. Unfortunately, time was running out.

"Oh man, Shifu's going to kill me! He told me about that meeting a week ago!"

The panda paused momentarily to pick up a last scroll that was resting inside a hidden basket of cabbages. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed. _Well, to be fair, I am the dragon warrior. And I did have a pretty eventful week with those croc bandits terrorizing the valley. Maybe Shifu will understand._

He thought about it for a second before shaking his head. "Ah who am I kidding?! Shifu's not going to buy that! And no amount of dragon warrior talk is going to stop what he'll do to me if I miss this meeting!"

He thought about what happened the last time he missed an important event like today and cringed, "Okay Po, get a grip on yourself, no need to go back to that nightmare." he said to himself reassuringly. "Well at any rate, there's nothing I can do about it now, I better just get to the palace!"

Resolved, Po placed the recovered scrolls into a small green carrying bag and tossed it over his shoulder. He then proceeded to make his way out of the noodle shop, lock the front door, and began his journey up the seemingly endless flight of stairs that led to the Jade Palace. Unbeknownst to the panda, over the next couple of days his life would be drastically changed. And not for the first time.

After successfully beating his age-old foe once again, Po let out a small cry of success. He was finally getting used to the stairs. Of course his lungs still burned, knees still ached, and his desire for water was still overwhelming. But this time he hadn't stopped to throw up, and in Po's case that was a significant improvement. He took a few moments to catch his breath and then opened the main doors of the palace.

The doors creaked slightly, revealing a large group of people who seemed to be arguing about something. Suddenly everyone stopped their conversations and turned to see who it was that dared interrupt such an important meeting. It was so quiet that Po could've heard a pin drop. Seeing that it was the dragon warrior who stood before them, the crowd simply dropped their icy glares and went back to their previous conversations.

Po, thankful for the status that he had, walked over to the large group of people. Somewhere inside the mass of bodies he would find Shifu and the furious five. He took the time to look at the other guests as he searched for his master. From the way they were talking and how they were dressed Po had to assume they were nobles. A few of them even had guards following them.

Po even saw a few Kung-fu masters who seemed to be in heated debates much to their dismay. Po smiled instinctively, but the smile vanished when he remembered why he was in such a hurry. Right now he had to find Master Shifu. There would be time for autographs later. At least, he hoped so.

_Good, It looks like they haven't started the meeting yet._ Po was starting to think he was in the clear, and thats when he saw a certain red panda walk towards him rather urgently. His eyes were twitching slightly as he glared at his pupil. Po knew that face, he'd seen it enough to know that his master wasnt happy. _That doesnt look good._ Shifu was looking very stressed at the moment and Po really didn't want to be around the red panda when he blew his top. Unfortunately it appeared that Shifu's stress was going to be specifically aimed at the unlucky panda.

Po said his prayers and walked over to meet his fuming master. "You're late Po, where have you been!" Shifu hissed keeping his voice down and trying to mask his rage.

Po noticed it anyway and stared blankly at his master who seemed very interested in his student's next answer. Shifu also looked like he could do a lot of particularly painful things to the panda if he didn't like what he heard.

"What do you mean late? By the look of things you guys haven't even started the meeting yet. I mean…even if I'm a few minutes late doesn't mean-" Shifu put his hand out to stop the panda and rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Po the meeting has been over for twenty minutes!" Shifu took a second to regain his composure, mouthing something that looked like inner peace, and then continued his lecture. "This is the after discussion. You missed a very important meeting today and I want to know why."

A few moments passed as Po stared at Shifu while mentally debating whether he should lie to his master. In the end he decided to tell the truth, besides; he was in enough trouble as it was and Shifu probably would have found out eventually. Po hung his head in defeat and sighed before weaving his tale to his master.

Once Po finished his story he noticed that most if not all the rage in Shifu's face had melted away. If anything Shifu more or less seemed to understand Po's situation and was now thinking of what to say to him.

The red panda nodded and spoke very quickly. "Well you did make a mistake but since you were honest with me, I will overlook this incident due to your responsibility to your father. But next time don't make the same mistake in planning again."

Shifu then hurriedly walked back to the crowd almost completely ignoring the panda. The strange restlessness in his master's voice and actions started to put Po on edge.

"Wait, no punishment? Aren't you still upset?" Po asked quite puzzled.

_Wait, what am I saying?!_ Po was starting to feel very anxious. Shifu hadn't publicly shown his anger like that ever since Po had defeated Tai Lung. He was usually very serene despite the constant irritation that life tended to throw at him. Of course Po knew that he could sometimes push his master over the edge too, but he had never seen Shifu that angry before. Something wasn't right here.

Po knew that he had the innate ability to annoy Shifu, sometimes that was the highlight of his day. But either way Po was always disciplined for his mistakes. Even when it was something minor there was a consequence. Shifu knew how prove a point, whether it was through lectures or disciplinary measures. It was strange that Shifu was just letting him off the hook, especially after getting so upset with him.

Strangely this sort of stress built anger was unlike anything Po had ever seen. There had to be something else going on here. Po was sharper than most people thought; he was just bad at putting things into words. It also didn't help that he acted like a child when he met anyone famous. Either way he'd be a fool if he didn't push the question further. And daddy didn't raise no fool!

He spoke urgently, "Shifu, what is it? Is everything ok?"

The red panda stopped in his tracks and faced his student. He could hear the concern in the panda's voice and slowly looked up to meet Po's gaze.

"It's what we were discussing at the meeting Po. Come with me, I need to show you something."

The small red panda turned around again and led Po back into the crowd. Po noticed a few masters of varying statuses as he walked by. Some of them he had even met before on one occasion or another from nearby provinces.

"Now Po, this master Baka I'm about to introduce you to is a lead member of the Kung-Fu council. That said, he can be very energetic so, for both our sakes, please be on your best behavior."

Po nodded in compliance, his inner fan was already beginning to rise within him but he pushed it down with a little effort. After a bit of walking through the crowd, master Shifu finally found the person he was looking for.

The duo made their way over to a brown robed Rhino who seemed to be locked in a brutal one-sided debate with three smaller leopard nobles. They were all dressed in ugly dark green cloaks but underneath Po could see that they were actually wearing extravagant looking robes. All three of them had their hoods off and were glaring daggers at the large figure standing in front of them..

Po had to strain his ears over the crowd to hear what the lead leopard was saying. He was the tallest of the three leopards and seemed to be the most dangerous. A curved sword hung at his hip and Po was sure that he knew how to wield it.

The main leopard spoke with a large hint of annoyance and fury in his voice. "You know what this will lead to! We all do! How can you stand back and let this happen to us! Just you wait Baka, it may not happen right away but slowly things will begin to turn and then there will be no way to stop it. Then you will see that I was right and you will pay for your ignorance!"

The Rhino stood there impassively with his arms crossed, showing no emotion at all as he towered over them taking the brunt of their verbal abuse.

Po leaned over to Shifu, "This guy's energetic? He could've fooled me."

Shifu shook his head slightly, a small grin appearing on his face, "You will see panda…you will see."

Suddenly the rhino raised his hand signaling that he had heard enough. The lead leopard's eyes bulged in rage at the rhino interrupting him but he went completely silent nonetheless.

Baka snorted, "Hmph! You don't fool me Kato, all you're concerned with is your money." The large rhino's shoulders drooped and he sighed roughly while still holding his apathetic stare, "I will do what I can. But all we can really do at the moment is observe if there is no evidence of a threat. Now go home and _calm down_. I will further look into this matter, if I find anything out you will be the first to know. I assure you."

The three leopards glared angrily at the old rhino but found nothing to say to his response. They quickly spun on their heels and walked away signaling that they were finished talking. People in the crowd noticed the malice in the main leopard's eyes and made sure to give him plenty of room. Just in case.

Baka sighed again as he watched the disgruntled trio exit the palace. He then turned around to see his old friend Shifu standing behind him. Immediately Baka's emotionless face became such an enthusiastic smile that it slightly disturbed the big panda. "Master Shifu! It's so good to see a face that doesn't want to rip my head off. All I've dealt with this afternoon is one complaint after another to no end!"

"Yeah who were those guys?"

"Ah, and this must be your highly esteemed dragon warrior. Good to finally meet you lad!" Baka reached for Po's hand and shook it violently.

Po was still being shaken left and right when he answered back, "Whoa, thanks! It's nice to meet you to!" Eventually Baka let go leaving the poor panda clutching at his right hand, the large rhino had nearly crushed it without even knowing.

"Well that particular ray of sunshine that I just had the pleasure of speaking with is the infamous Kato Geming, the other two are his sons. Kato is a greedy, dangerously hot-tempered noble with a vast amount of wealth and an even larger amount of friends in high places. He's been known to be very aggressive at times and is not to be trifled with...well not if you like your head attached to your shoulders."

Po gave the rhino a shocked look, "Really! He murders people!"

Master Baka laughed suddenly, "Oh, heavens no! That would be too easy. See if he did that then we would have evidence to have him arrested. He's too smart for that, instead he uses thugs and assassins to do the dirty work, that way there's no proof and we can't touch him. He's very secretive, some might even be bold enough to say paranoid though not in his presence. Most people who cross Kato end up dead, the rest go missing. He's only interested in himself and his pursuit of money, and he'll remove anyone who stands in the way of what he wants, including other lords and nobles. One day we'll catch him and then he'll pay for the wrongs he's committed. But until then we're just going to have to deal with the little-"

Master Shifu coughed to get their attention again. "Ahem, Master Baka, the dragon warrior was not present during our meeting and I need to show him the letter."

The Rhino's face hardened even more at the mention of the letter and Po could tell that whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be good.

"Ah, I see. It's right here." Baka reached into his robe producing a thin scroll for Po to see. "I was hoping to talk to you about it anyway dragon warrior, of course the five should hear this too but I haven't seen them at all since the meeting started."

"No need, I told them about the letter and sent them to pack."

"Pack? Are we going somewhere?"

"Why don't we go somewhere more private to discuss this, no?"

Baka led Po and Shifu out to the courtyard and checked over his shoulder to make sure no one had followed them. He then walked over to a nearby table and spread the scroll over it. Po had already noticed that it was an imperial scroll by its outer design; he even recognized that it was signed by the emperor now that it was opened. But he never would have guessed what was written inside.

Po took a few moments to read the contents of the scroll and by the time he had finished reading he had nearly gone into shock. Inside the scroll it read, _Greetings citizens of China. As many of you may know, our country is very strong and prides itself on its culture and military. However, there are other nations similar to ours that have recently fallen to an unknown invading force. Despite our good fortune in the past years I do regret to inform you that this relentless horde is sweeping over Asia and will eventually come to China to determine which force is greater. In order to withstand this onslaught I have sought the aid of an ally nation. So far, only the island of Japan has answered my call to arms. Peace negotiations will be held to further determine our relations with the Japanese. Please remain calm during this process and under no circumstance must any hostilities occur. Such incidents would be detrimental to the benefit of our society and will be penalized with severe punishment. –Signed The Emperor of China. _

Po stood there for a second to gather his thoughts, his eyes were wide and his mouth hung open as he tried to wrap his mind around what he just read. His throat was dry; he tried to swallow and felt a small knot forming in his throat.

Several moments passed and he eventually found his voice, "But what does the emperor mean by peace negotiations, aren't we on good terms with Japan? And where did these invaders come from? And what did he mean by call to arms? How long do we have before those invaders get here?"

Master Shifu spoke to cut off his students rambling, "Right now we need to focus on the current threat which could possibly be Japan. To answer your question, yes we are on good terms with the people of Japan as of right now. However, they may try to take advantage of us during this time of confusion. The emperor has to make sure they can be trusted to be our allies."

Master Baka turned to Po who still seemed a little shocked, "This is why the people are upset. Some nobles would gladly accept the added protection of Japan while others think that it would be foolish to allow foreign soldiers into our land." He sighed under his breath, "The problem is, both sides hold valid points and we can't convict Japan of doing something they haven't done yet." He placed his hand on Po's shoulder. "This is why we want you and the five to accompany the emperor on this meeting."

Po smiled naturally, "No way, this is so awesome! Me and the five get to hang out with the Emperor, that is so cool!" Po's excitement got the better of him and he was about to start daydreaming when Shifu cut him off.

"This is not a game Po, you are to protect and guard him only." Shifu spoke coolly, "You must be a shadow. You remember what I taught you about shadows right?"

"Uh, they don't talk?"

"Good boy."

Shifu turned around, "The others have already been briefed on the mission. You will all be leaving tomorrow. I sent a messenger to tell the emperor that you will be arriving at the palace in a few days. Now remember. All you have to do is protect the Emperor and discover whether or not the Japanese mean us any harm. Do you understand?"

He received a quick nod of reassurance from the panda after which he told the dragon warrior to get some rest and sent him away.

"Quite a student you've got there Shifu, I'll bet your real proud of him huh."

"Well, he does have his moments. What really concerns me is why the Emperor didn't send any of us a warning the instant these invaders were reported. I mean, doesn't that seem a little odd to you?"

Baka chuckled, "I'll admit that it's a bit strange, but why are you even surprised? You of all people know how busy a man he is. When was the last time you saw Emperor Chang anyway?"

Shifu sighed softly, "It's been a long time Baka. Too long for my taste. I really don't like him keeping things from the council…I don't know Baka, I've got a weird feeling about this. I think there are darker things at work here than just this oncoming war, but it seems only time will tell."

The large rhino gave a grunt in response. "Well for our sake, I hope you're wrong Shifu."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo

Po sprinted up the staircase to the student barracks to tell his friends the good news. He had actually managed to get three new signatures from the visiting martial arts masters. Not only did he get the autographs, but he was also going to meet the Emperor! Po couldn't believe his luck! He was so excited about his new mission that he almost forgot that his friends were already fast asleep in their rooms.

He only remembered when he heard a slight shifting sound in Viper's room. Viper moaned softly as her body uncoiled itself. Po tensed; hoping that he hadn't entirely woken her up and waited for her to drift back to sleep. He could hear Viper's sinuous body sliding over the hard polished floor as she recoiled herself and fell back asleep. Po sighed mentally when the noise faded; he gave it a few seconds just to be sure she was fully asleep, and then quietly made his way over to his room.

Luckily for Po, Master Shifu had replaced the old floorboards of the Jade Palace with sturdier ones once it became obvious that his stay was going to be permanent. In fact, most of the entire palace had gone through re-modification in some way, shape, or form to deal with Po's weight and size. Surprisingly this worked well for everyone and no complaints were made. The dragon warrior silently slid his door open, placed his green bag on the floor, and slipped into bed. Within moments the large panda's eyes got very heavy and he drifted to sleep.


	2. Eye of The Beholder

Po woke to the sound of someone knocking softly on his door. He rolled his head over and noticed the all too familiar silhouette of master Tigress standing at his door.

"Po, wake up. Master Shifu will be here in five minutes."

"Sure Tigress, I'm up."

The panda quickly rolled out of bed and made his way over to a nearby drawer. Ever since Po started living in the Jade Palace he had a really hard time waking up in the morning. But after a few team building punishments were given, courtesy of master Shifu, everyone thought it best to give Po a wakeup call.

The tired panda hurriedly grabbed a pair of brown tailor-made training slacks from the drawer and switched them with his tan training shorts. He then proceeded to throw the used shorts into his laundry basket and strode over to the screen door. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes, Po waited for the signal to open the door and say his never changing greeting to his master.

After a light breakfast the six warriors grabbed their survival packs and made their way down to the edge of the Valley. It was a pretty hot day but master Shifu, seeing this as a very important mission, made sure to accompany them on their way out. They stopped around Mr. Ping's noodle shop and said their goodbyes.

Master Shifu spoke with a serene, if not a little gruff, voice, "The trip should take about five days. Luckily for us both, the imperial palace isn't very far from here. You'll have to travel twenty miles a day to arrive on time. Once you get there, you will meet with the emperor and give him protection to and from the peace negotiation. Is that understood?"

The red panda's eyes shifted to Tigress but the rest of the group gave their assurances anyway. He then nodded his head with a grin and sent them off.

The first couple of hours went by pretty easily but it wasn't long before Po needed a break. And that's when things started to go downhill. He had been feeling pretty good about this trip, knowing that he was going to meet the emperor had really given him an extra spring in his step. But even the great dragon warrior needed a break every now and then.

It also didn't hurt to say that he was over 350 pounds and therefore needed a well deserved break for his efforts. Po could feel his body warning him, in more ways than one, that he needed a break. The large panda wiped off the sweat from his forehead and slowed his jog.

"Hey guys…I need a break…really bad," He panted through his breath.

Tigress nodded noticing the tiredness in his voice, "Alright, we'll stop under those trees for a moment. Crane, check our location and secure a perimeter."

Crane took to the sky without a reply. He didn't need to give one. Tigress turned to Po who had already taken off his pack and was busy emptying his canteen. He was drinking so fast that she thought the panda might just swallow the bottle whole. It wouldn't have been the first time.

The feline walked over to Po's pack and produced a small white rag from one of the numerous pockets. Grabbing her own canteen, she then proceeded to pour a small amount of water into the rag.

Tigress then stepped behind her friend and placed the rag over his neck causing him to give off a slight sigh of relief. Tigress sighed in return but for another reason. If they were taking a break, she'd be darned for not taking advantage of it. Tigress sat herself down beside Po and tried to meditate inwardly. Unfortunately for Tigress, her reflective thoughts were only serving to disturb her further.

With the other members of the five, Tigress had appeared and acted as if she was a cold, distant, and unforgiving person. This was at first only a mask, created inadvertently by Shifu, which she learned to use around others. Like father like daughter. It was later used with each member of the five as they became students of the Jade Palace. After a while, the mask became a part of her.

Of course it wasn't really her. Not really. Every time Tigress found herself alone she would take off the mask and cry her heart out. She could recall many times in her younger days that, after being strictly criticized by Shifu, she would go throughout her day holding on to that one moment until she went to bed. She always managed to keep her voice calm and face straight until she was alone. It was only then that she would allow herself to give in to her tears and sob into her pillow just like any other girl.

Sometimes she would scream and beg for an answer for why she had been given such a terrible life. Stripped from her real parents and then sent to an orphanage to lose hope of finding a family again. Then to find hope in being adopted by a kind and compassionate stranger only to find that same person become a cold hearted and bitter old man.

Why was she treated like a monster? Was she always going to be destined to live the life of a freak? How could anyone love her? She had asked herself these questions for years and eventually she became convinced that these things had happened because she was a monster and nothing more. The fact that she repressed all of those thoughts inside her only contributed to strengthening her mask.

The only one to ever break past Tigress's cold shell was Viper and it was only because the snake already had a gift for seeing through people and making relationships. When Tigress eventually did break down in front of her friend she made her promise not to tell anyone under the threat that if she did, Tigress would… well, lets just say it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

Despite her closest friend's attempts to convince her otherwise, Tigress still thought of herself as a monster destined to be completely and utterly alone. It might have stayed that way if she hadn't met a certain panda who ended up turning her life upside down.

Po was able to do something that no one else ever had. He had been able to defeat the dreaded Tai Lung and at the same time restore peace to master Shifu.

When Shifu changed, the veil that shrouded the palace lifted as well. Everything changed including Shifu's regard towards his students and foster daughter. Tigress knew it would take time, but eventually she would rekindle the relationship with her father. And Po had made it all possible, even while she was still wearing the mask of a stone hardened warrior.

She owed a great debt to the panda. She wanted to somehow repay him for what he'd done…for all of them. She wanted to take off her mask. But after so many years of keeping it on, would it come off so easily? The least she could do is try to be a nicer friend to the others. Heaven knows they deserved it after what she put them through.

Tigress realized she had zoned out. Her eyes drifted to the heaping mass of black and white fur sitting next to her. She decided to talk him.

"How are you feeling Po?"

The panda looked at her with a grin, "I'm fine Tigress. I just got a little ahead of myself that's all. You know how it is."

Tigress smiled inwardly. _Yeah, you do tend to get really excited when were on missions. _

"You have to learn your limits Po. This isn't the first time you've become over dehydrated from jogging. We can't allow this to keep happening."

She tried to show concern in her voice but telling from the look that Po gave her, she guessed it ended up sounding like it usually did.

Po stared at her with confusion and hurt written on his face, "I'm trying as hard as I can to not slow you guys down! What more do you want from me?"

Tigress's eyes widened a little at that, "Oh…wait, you misunderstood what I was trying to say! I'm only saying that you need to be more careful so that this doesn't happen again. I…don't like seeing you in pain Po."

Po's eyes changed and he gave a small smile, "Thanks Tigress, sorry I misunderstood."

The feline shrugged. "It's okay, but next time you should tell us when you're getting dehydrated so we can stop this from happening."

"Alright, it's a deal."

Satisfied, Tigress got up and walked over to her pack mentally praising herself for the quick save. Maybe her luck wasn't so bad after all.

While Tigress was busy awkwardly improving her status with Po. Viper, Mantis, and Monkey were left to do whatever they wanted until Po recovered. But at the moment, none of them _wanted_ to do anything. It was just that hot.

The three heroes had reserved themselves to finding some shade from the sun. Viper was busying herself with finding a nice flat rock to lie down on while Monkey and Mantis took turns telling stories. At the moment, Mantis was in the middle of his wedding story.

"I'm serious! The whole time I was at the altar, all I could hear her say was _dragon warrior, dragon warrior_." Mantis made some mock swoons with his voice and body to emphasize his point.

Monkey coughed out the water he was drinking and continued to laugh hysterically at the thought of Mantis almost getting married to such a greedy and conceited woman. Even Viper giggled at the story, indicating that she was listening. She was currently coiling herself on a large stone in between the sun and shade.

"That's what you get for falling head over heels with someone without getting to know them first."

Mantis sighed, "Yeah I know, but she was just so beautiful I couldn't help it. You guys should have seen her, she really was gorgeous!"

Viper looked over at Mantis, "Beauty isn't everything you know. Next time maybe you should look at the heart instead of the body."

Mantis began to day dream about his old girlfriend, "Oh but her body was _so_ fine!"

Viper blushed heavily at that last comment. Monkey noticed that the last comment had struck a chord with his fellow master and tried to ease the situation. He tried to whisper under his breath so Viper couldn't hear him.

"Easy lover boy, you're starting to make someone jealous."

Apparently the whisper didn't work because the serpentine warrior quickly shot up from her rock with a face of shock and surprise.

"**_I Am Not!_** I just… don't think that it's appropriate for Mantis to talk about women like that. Is it too much to ask for a snake to lie down and not hear someone talk about women like they're items or trophies on display."

"Gosh Viper no need to get so defensive. Besides she did after all turn out to be a stuck-up snob. I'm just saying she was a _hot_ stuck-up snob. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't get married. That woman would have been the death of me."

"Yeah, Literally" Monkey added.

They both laughed but Monkey could've sworn that his buddies laugh was more out of nervousness than anything else.

The duo resumed telling stories as Viper coiled tightly around herself as she mentally berated herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. And to Mantis of all creatures! She should have known better than to let his antics get the best of her. Eventually she decided that it would be best for everyone if she cooled herself off by one of the nearby streams.

She lazily rolled off her rock and headed over to the flowing brook. _Now where is that brook? I know it was somewhere around here…Ugh, why is it so hot today! _After a few minutes Viper finally found the stream, much to her delight, and slipped in.

The surprising coldness of the water made her shiver as the light current attempted to carry her downstream. Viper laid her head down on the grass next to the stream and closed her eyes trying to relax. Unfortunately, she became so relaxed that she fell asleep and didn't realize Crane swoop down.

The master avian had landed in front of the serpent hoping that he would finally get a chance to talk to her. He had talked to her before of course, just not on a personal level. They were warriors of the Jade Palace, trained in the arts of Kung-Fu to protect the people of China at any cost.

She was a snake and he was a bird, he knew that. He also knew that she probably wouldn't be interested in him, but he still couldn't help how he felt about her. His affection towards Viper started off like most relationships do, as friends. But as time passed Crane grew to love her as he had Mei Ling.

The problem was that he still only loved Viper from afar as a secret admirer. Crane was having a really hard time admitting his feelings for the kind serpent. Sometimes he would practice what to say to her when no one else was watching.

He had tried telling her many times before but fear of rejection would always get the best of him, and it would usually ended up with him giving a clever remark or a funny joke to break the ice.

Usually in public Crane would brim with confidence. But whenever he was around Viper he felt different, almost like when he was back at the Lee Da Academy with Mei Ling. Except this time he was determined to not let her walk out of his life without telling her how he felt towards her.

Crane had missed his chance to tell Mei Ling how he felt…he wouldn't let that happen with Viper. Despite all his newfound confidence he still had trouble talking to beautiful women, especially beautiful women that he liked.

One day he would tell her how he felt, and whether he was to be accepted or rejected would be up to her. And by the look of things, apparently that day was going to be today! It was going to be a fifty fifty chance and Crane could live with those odds. Besides, anything would be better than living with the torment of wondering whether or not the woman he loved would love him back. Right?

As Crane strode over to his comrade, his mind struggled over what to say to her. _Here's my chance! I'm finally going to tell her how much I feel about her…But what do I say? Come on think! You said it this morning, and it just has to end with three tiny words. Yeah, but those words mean so much. What if she doesn't like me back? What if she laughs at me! Maybe this was a bad idea. I should—No, I have to do this and hang the consequences. I'd rather tell her than live in torment! _

And with that last thought the bird found himself standing over the reptile and was about to say something when he noticed that she wasn't resting but sleeping. Crane gave a great sigh of relief and took care not to wake her. He smiled, watching her sleeping form rise and fall with the flow of the current.

Crane had to admit, she looked even more stunning as she slept there than when she was awake. He reached out to touch her cheek with his wing but pulled it back quickly thinking better of it. He sighed softly, and what he did afterwards amazed even him.

Crane got eye level with Viper and quietly whispered under his breath, "If only I could tell you. If only you knew how I felt. Then maybe we could be more than just friends. Then again, maybe you wouldn't care. Or worse, you would be disgusted with me for liking you. But I can't help it; I can't help how I feel for you Viper. One day I'll tell you…one day very soon. I promise."

He got up quietly and moved a safe resting distance away from the sleeping reptile. His knees were shaking and his wings felt cold and clammy. _Did I just say that out loud? Yeah, I think I did! Score one for Crane!_

Crane, not wanting to disturb his fellow master, considered assuming his usual meditative sleeping position. But it didn't take long for the blazing heat of the sun to persuade him to do otherwise. The avian sat down, took his hat off, and propped his head up against a rock. He then turned his head to the side so his beak wouldn't get in the way and placed his hat over his face to keep the sun from burning him.

Slightly happy that he said how he felt and more annoyed to have to endure not knowing another day. Crane fell asleep only to dream of what he would say to Viper, if only he could. Little did he know that serpent had woken up while he had been speaking to her.

Viper had woken up to the sound of Crane's wing nearly brushing her face. She wasn't fully conscious yet but the slight breeze had alerted her senses. The next thing he did woke her up even further. She tried hard to keep her eyes from opening in shock as he said what he did.

By the time the bird had finished his quiet speech Viper had fully regained her consciousness. She had heard almost every word of it and now waited patiently for Crane's next move. If he had tried to kiss her she might have let him. Maybe.

But instead, the bird got up and walked away. Viper sighed mentally; a bit disappointed that he hadn't tried to kiss her. She should have known that the bird would have too much honor to steal a kiss from her. But that was Crane for you.

When she finally built up the courage to open her eyes, Viper noticed that Crane was already fast asleep. She immediately tried to remember what he said to her. She furrowed her brow slightly. For a moment it was hard for her to recall what he said. Since she was in the process of waking up when he spoke, it was almost like remembering a dream. He had tried to tell her something important. Something about him… liking _her?_

Crane had admitted his feelings for her, granted he had thought she was asleep at the time, but that didn't matter. Not at the moment anyway.

Viper muttered quietly to herself, "Crane… likes me? How could he like me? I'm just a snake and he's a bird."

_A pretty good looking bird at that._ A small voice stated in the back of her mind. She shook her head and pushed that thought aside. She had known that Crane liked her but she thought he only liked her as a friend and nothing more. Now she knew the truth, and she had to admit…she kind of liked it!

Over her time at the Jade Palace Viper had developed a small crush on Crane, but she never thought that he would like her back. The more she got to know him, the more she grew to admire him. He was so smart, so cunning, and always knew how to make her laugh. Crane had always been there for her when she needed someone to talk to.

She recalled a time, during her younger days, when she had missed her family and gotten homesick. Shifu had given her the day off but it was Crane who came later that night to comfort her with words of encouragement and a shoulder to cry on.

She remembered crying into his plush feathers as he listened to her every word. And it wasn't just with her. He held a very servant like attitude about him. Crane could make friends with nearly anyone and whenever someone needed him he would always be there for them. Crane was good with those types of things. He always knew what to say. He was just that type of bird.

Viper waited a few moments just to make sure that Crane was asleep. When she was sure that he was, she got out of the water, hoping not to wake the bird, and slithered away to get a grip on what the heck had just happened to her! Crane had just said he liked her! She started giggling and tried to muffle it with her tail.

Crane had just woken up a part of her that she hadn't felt since her crush days. _Focus Viper! You need to find out whether he's serious or not about what he said!_

Finding a reasonably safe talking distance, Viper thought aloud, "I can't just ask him can I? If only I had woken up sooner I could have heard all of it."

She paused for a second. "Well, he did say he'd tell me soon, but what if it takes him months to tell me. I don't know if I can wait that long!"

Her body started to tense up little but she forced herself to relax. "I could just tell him that I heard what he said—No I can't do that, he would feel betrayed that I didn't stop him after I woke up and that I faked being asleep until he finished." Viper noticed that her heart was beating faster than normal and tried to slow it down but to no avail.

She smiled to herself. She may have been a little nervous but she was also in love and _she_ knew it! She hadn't been in love since…well, Viper had never been in love with anyone before actually. Partly because she was too busy saving the valley from danger and also partly because she didn't think she had a body worth loving.

She had always thought that one day she would get married, but it wouldn't have anything to do with love. It would be an arranged marriage to an unknown heir to some competing clan, probably another serpent, in order to strengthen her father's province.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Viper had to deal with very low self esteem issues growing up. The fact that she was born with defective fangs didn't help the matter. She knew that she was a beautiful woman but she didn't think that anyone would ever be able to see past what many snakes considered to be a great shame.

She was even taught as a child that the most essential part of a snake was its venom, and that without it a snake was practically nothing. This was why she had given up the hope of ever getting married to someone who truly loved her. It was also the reason for her sudden confusion about Crane's confession.

She slithered back and forth as she tried to understand what had happened to her. _Why does Crane like me? He has hundreds of women to choose from and he chooses a creature with no limbs? And one with defective fangs at that! How could he like someone like me?_

She ran that last thought through her mind a hundred times until the only answer that made sense came to hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Because…somehow, someway, I'm special to him."

She smiled inwardly as she started to think that, just maybe, she wouldn't have to get married to someone who doesn't love her after all. And that's when she remembered that she would have to inevitably reveal her dark secret to the rest of the group.

Viper was a noble. And if there were two things that she had learned in her travels about nobles it was that firstly, no one trusted a noble. Not even their Kung Fu protectors. And secondly, a noble could only marry someone of the same social class as themselves. "Just another complication" she huffed.


	3. Scum and Villainy

**Hey everyone! As school work picks up the stories will become less frequent, sorry. Anyway I just want to say thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who revieved. I hope to hear more from you guys, let me know how you think the story is going and dont forget to review! Here... we...go!**

Crane woke to the sound of Tigress's voice much to his dismay.

"Crane, wake up. Po's ready to go…more or less."

The disoriented bird spoke, hopeful that his reply wouldn't be too slurred, "Wassat? Oh right, yeah. Just gimme a sec Tigress."

He got to his feet a little shakily and splashed some water into his face. "_Man_ that feels good! Alright, are we ready to go?"

Tigress was already walking away from him. She gave him a slight gesture with her hand that meant for him to follow. "Yeah, we're all set to go. We'll set up camp after our twentieth mile which thankfully won't be too far. We made it pretty far before Po's body gave out on him. I think we only have five more miles to go."

Crane picked up his pace until he was walking beside the tiger, "Hey, speaking of Po. How's the poor guy doing?"

The feline gave a deep frown and it was obvious to Crane that she was worried about him. "He'll be okay. Mantis gave him some acupuncture to relieve his muscles but there's only so much his body can take before it shuts down. The thing is, Po is an outstanding fighter and a genius at picking up techniques. But his body…it just doesn't have the endurance or stamina to go the distance without stopping. It puts too much strain on him.

Crane sighed under his hat understanding the severity of the situation. He tried to reassure her, "Don't worry Tigress. We'll figure something out. Wait, I've got it! How about maybe moving at night? That would answer the heat problem."

Tigress huffed, "Are you forgetting that we need the sun to see where we're going?"

Crane ignored the spitefulness in the felines voice, "No, but once we make it to the local market, we can follow the main road _all_ the way to the Imperial Palace. Won't that be fun!" he stated sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes, Tigress grinned, "Shut up Crane. How far away is the market?"

The bird shrugged, "Just a few miles east of here. We can rest in one of the inns until tomorrow night. Then we'll travel the imperial road until we get to the palace. I already checked the map; the imperial road is swamped with villages and inns looking for tourists."

She stared at the bird quite impressed with his idea. "Wow Crane, I see you've done your homework." Although she'd never admit it, Tigress had always been a bit jealous of Crane's innate ability to think several steps ahead of those around him.

The avian chuckled a little, "Well, you know…when you have a photographic mind and study geography and terrain, maps tend to come a little easily."

She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Ok genius, show us the way."

Crane had to summon all his strength not to let his beak hang open at the way Tigress was acting. She was behaving very unlike her usual self. Not that it bothered the bird. In fact, Crane kinda liked this new Tigress. At least now she wasn't glaring daggers everywhere she looked. _I wonder if she's been taking those anger management classes I recommended._ _Of course it's also possible that she's on some new type of medication or something. _He shrugged mentally; _well I hope it's permanent._ _I don't think I can stand another practice death match just because she's 'not having a good day'!_

It didn't take long for the duo to catch up with the others and once they had grabbed all their equipment. The furious five and Dragon warrior set off once again on their journey to meet with the Emperor of China.

It didn't take long for the group of warriors to find the marketplace that Crane had been talking about. It was only around four in the afternoon when they passed through the walls surrounding the small town.

Mantis spoke from monkey's shoulder. "Dude. This place is small even for me, and trust me, that's saying something."

Tigress nudged Crane with her elbow, "Yeah Crane, are you sure this is the place?" she said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Let me check. Be right back." And with that the bird blasted himself into the sky leaving the others, quite literally, in his dust.

Monkey coughed loudly to get the dust out of his throat. *Cough cough* "Remind me to tell him to take a couple steps away from us before attempting his rocket jump next time."

Tigress snarled, "Sure, but not until _after_ I'm done with him."

Monkey grinned smugly, "Oh sure, that goes without saying!" They all shared a laugh over that while still trying to forcefully cough out the tiny irritants from their throats.

A few moments passed before the avian swooped back down to his friends landing gracefully with his back turned as he did so. "Yeah, we're in the right…uh what happened to you guys?"

The bird turned around to find that his friends were covered in dust and dirt. He also noticed that all of them were glaring at him. Crane tried not to laugh at the faces they were giving him and held a straight face.

"Oh, did I do that? I guess I should give a warning next time, huh?"

"**_You Think!_**" The others shouted in unison.

Crane laughed nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that guys…anyway, this place is larger than you think. This area is for the newcomers and tourists, but beyond those gates over there is where the real market is."

He gestured over to where the gates were with his wing. "I found the inn too; it's a rather large one at the far corner of the market. It's called, and I quote, the Drunken Huntsmen. Follow me."

And with that the tired group of warriors made their way up to the large gate. Next to the large door stood a pair of indifferent looking wolf guards. Both were holding up axe shaped pole-arms. As the group strode up to the gate, the guards crossed their weapons in an X shape. One of them handed out a series of papers to the group before speaking. He was tall for a wolf, and his armor showed that he had been in quite a number of fights during his service as a guard. His face sported three faded scars over his snout and his eyes were cold and unforgiving. Tigress grinned, he was probably chosen as a gate guard to scare away unsure visitors.

"Before you enter the market, we need you to sign this form accepting that we have no control over what may happen to you beyond these gates. Any injuries you sustain or trouble that you get yourselves into is of your own consequence and we cannot be held responsible. That said, we do hope you enjoy your stay here and hope to see you again…alive that is. And before you ask, yes we do realize who you are, but this is standard procedure."

The warriors stared in disbelief at the level of indifference and rudeness of the guards who were already going back to their duties. Tigress glared at the guards for a moment but eventually she signed her name on the form and proceeded to walk through the gate. The others did the same. As soon as they passed through the gate they were able to see the entirety of the marketplace. It was filled with tents and stores as far as they could see.

"Wow, forget what I said about this place being small, this place is huge!"

"Yeah no kidding Mantis. But where is the…oh wait, there it is. I see it now, the inn is right over there, it's the tall brown one."

As the group made their way to the inn they started to realize why they had to sign those forms. Almost everyone in the market looked like they had ulterior motives. Some of which probably served a darker purpose than others. A lot of them were giving the warriors very deep set glares.

Crane started to feel small beads of sweat drip from his beak as he led the group further into the market. He was starting to feel the eyes of the crowd on his back which didn't help much. He spoke keeping a wary eye on the people around him.

"I don't like it here guys. It reminds me too much of when I used to go to school."

The others chuckled a bit. "No I'm serious guys! It looks like everyone here wants to beat me up!"

Viper rolled her eyes at him. "That's probably because they _do_ want to beat you up Crane."

He rolled his eyes at her, "Gee Viper, thanks for the vote of confidence."

She showed a big cheeky grin. "Anytime Crane!"

After a few more minutes of walking they finally ended up at the inn. When they opened the doors it was quite apparent that it was a hiding place for scum. All eyes were on them in an instant, not that it bothered the furious five and the notorious dragon warrior. Many of them looked like thugs and bandits while some wore the trappings of a pirate or mercenary.

After a few moments of intense glares the assortment of animals were now, more or less, going back to their earlier conversations. Po and the five knew there wouldn't be any trouble. Not if the drunkards liked keeping their faces and bodily organs intact. Everyone knew that threatening a martial arts master could be hazardous to your health. And they all knew who the furious five and dragon warrior were. Still though, it would probably be best to steer clear of any trouble.

The inside of the inn was decorated with round and square tables and at the far end stood the bar which was surrounded by six, more or less, conscious customers. Tigress's nose scrunched at the repulsive smell of the inn's customers who apparently hadn't bathed in days.

She had to use all of her strength to keep her hands from covering her nose, "Nice place you've picked out for us Crane."

The bird shrugged. "Hey, it was either this or continue on the death march. Take your pick. In the meantime I'm going to get a drink."

The whole group stared at the avian in shock as he began to walk over to the bar. Tigress seemed the most confused.

"I didn't know that you drank alcohol dude!"

Crane turned his head over his shoulder sighing mentally, "I'm getting a drink of water Mantis." And with that he walked over to the bar.

"I think Crane's got the right idea, I'm getting some water too!" Po said before rushing after Crane.

Tigress crossed her arms and huffed, "Fine, whatever. I'm going to rent our rooms."

Viper slithered over to Tigress. "I'll go too. Let's leave the boys to have some fun by themselves." Under her breath she whispered, "Besides, there's something important I need to talk to you about."

Tigress smiled, "Sure Viper. See you later boys."

And with that, Tigress and Viper went off to take care of their own business leaving Monkey and Mantis to have some fun of their own. Mantis sighed, "And then there were two. What do you wanna do Monkey?"

Monkey took a quick look around and noticed a few gamblers playing cards. "Have you ever played poker?"

Mantis just grinned. "Buddy you have _no_ idea! Let's go have some fun!" With that the two jokers went off to try their luck at cards.

While the boys were left to themselves, Tigress and Viper were busy trying to find the innkeeper which was a lot harder than it seemed with the large crowd of people constantly trying to get their attention. Tigress could hear a lot of cat calls coming from the drunkards and tried to block them out of her head, but to no avail. The thought of her knocking their heads in crossed her mind a few times but she ultimately pushed it aside. It wouldn't do for a just protector of the people to beat up a few drunks just because they were trying to flirt with her. They were drunk after all.

However, after a bit of walking the duo started to hear a lot more than just cat calls. The pair found themselves hearing more and more obscene comments as they searched for the innkeeper. They could now feel the eyes of the twenty thugs looking them over. Some of the thugs started to get out of their seats and walk over to the two female warriors.

Viper whispered to her friend, "That's not a good sign Tigress!"

"I know Viper, just stand your ground and look tough." The tiger muttered under her breath.

Together the five could easily stand up to an army but alone, their power was greatly diminished. And they both knew it.

"Don't worry Viper, we can take them!"

"Maybe, but there's always the chance someone could land a lucky shot on us. Plus I don't think they're all drunk. They might try to swarm and overpower us if they figure that's their best chance. We should go back."

Tigress growled, "It's too late; they just cut off our exit. Besides…" she said cracking her knuckles. "I want to teach them a lesson in manners."

The comments were steadily getting more disgusting as the circle of brutes started to close in on the female warriors who were now just waiting patiently. The last two comments were so vulgar that Viper blushed out of embarrassment. That was the last straw; Tigress couldn't hold her temper anymore.

"**Alright That Is Enough**!" She roared. "How dare you say those things to a woman!"

The thugs weren't even deterred; they just kept getting closer smiling all the more. The warriors went into their defense stances as one of the drunks decided to speak. "Hey beautiful, don't be like that. Why doncha *hic* come over here en *hic* spensome time with me. We could have lotsa fun together!"

"Wait I saw're forst!"

"Over my *hic* dead body!"

"Gladly y'old dust rag!"

A swift punch knocked one of the drunkards over and almost instantly a fight erupted from the group of drunks giving the two females a chance to escape the full-out brawl.

Once they were a safe distance away and back into the light, the duo gave a quick sigh of relief.

"What was that about Tigress?"

"I don't know, most people are too afraid to come near us, even the bad guys."

"Either way, I'm glad we didn't have to beat those poor fools. Their bills would have been really expensive."

They both shared a laugh and only stopped when they heard a loud scream followed by a few moans coming from where they were just a few moments ago. In the midst of the group lay seven fallen thugs and in the middle of them stood a very angry black panther. On his shoulder rested a large war hammer.

He snarled as he barked at the drunks. "If I find any of you harassing my customers again I will personally rip out your stomach and make you eat it! Now get out of here!" The crowd slowly scattered.

The panther looked over at the two women staring at him at the corner of the inn and smiled reassuringly at them. "You two are the ones who got them going eh? Well don't worry; they won't be bothering you for some time. They'll wake up in a few hours in case you're concerned for them but I doubt it." The panther paused and then laughed suddenly, "Ah where are my manners! My names Qiang, I'm the innkeeper here. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Tigress was slightly stunned by the large feline's switch of character, "Yes please, my friends and I are looking for six individual rooms. Would you happen to have a few available?"

The panther frowned, "I'm sorry my dear, I don't. However, I _do_ have three medium sized rooms upstairs if you'd like them."

"Sure, we'll take it. Thank you!"

Tigress sighed out of relief and gave the panther a couple coins. He grinned at her charmingly while handing her three small keys.

"Anytime Miss…"

Tigress noticed that he was waiting to hear her name. "Oh, I'm Tigress. And this is Viper."

The panther looked down at the green serpent, reached down, and kissed her tail making her giggle slightly. "The pleasure's all mine, now if you don't mind I have to…clean up. Good bye."

"Bye." They both said at once as the panther left to tend to the inn.

"You like him!" They said to each other in unison.

"Do not!" They both said again.

"Oh yeah Tigress, then who do you like hmm?"

"Not now Viper, Right now I just want to rest on a nice soft bed." She huffed.

Viper knew her friend was trying to change the subject but at the moment she was too tired to press the matter any further. Besides, she could always figure that out later. "I totally agree Tigress. I hope the boys are having more fun than we are."

"Oh yeah, I bet they're really hitting it off. Anyway, we better head off to our room; the stench here is killing me. _Man_ this place smells terrible!" They laughed and then made their way up the flight of steps to get a decent night's sleep.

When Crane left the group to grab a drink it was partly because being surrounded by ruthless looking thugs had made him slightly claustrophobic. But more importantly, he was thinking about Viper again and needed a moment alone to clear his thoughts. What he didn't count on was his friend wanting to tag along with him. Po was a nice guy and truth be told he was one of the easiest of the six warriors to talk with, but sometimes he could be a bit much. And this was one of those times. From the moment they got their drinks Po had reserved himself to only drinking when the bird drank. This went from amusing to annoying rather quickly. The bird took another sip from his cup and again heard the aggravating slurp that came from the panda.

This continued for five minutes until Crane couldn't take it anymore. "Okay that one was the last straw! Why are you copying me Po?" The panda looked shocked and slightly panicky, "What?! I…I'm not copying…that's ridiculous Crane! I think you're getting paranoid!" The panda laughed nervously for a few moments before hanging his head in admittance. "Okay yeah you got me; I'm just _so_ bored!" "Well, why don't you try to having some fun?" "I was." Crane gave a sideways glance at the panda who was staring innocently back at him. "You think annoying the heck out of me is fun!?" "When Shifu isn't around, yeah!" Crane almost coughed out his water. "You're serious aren't you?" The panda nodded his head rapidly with a large grin.

Crane sighed heavily and looked into his cup. "This is going to be a long night, I can already tell." Po saw how downcast his friend looked and tried to cheer him up. "Hey Crane, are you alright? I was only messing with you man." Crane smiled a bit, "It's not you Po…okay maybe a little bit, but really its…it's complicated." Po noticed the drop in the bird's voice and seeing how sad Crane was; Po was more than determined to figure out what the problem was. "You know, I'm here if you want to talk. And you can tell me anything Crane, I don't judge."

Cranes eyes widened as he heard that last sentence. Could he tell Po his secret? He needed to tell someone, and Po was the most trustworthy guy he knew. After all, the panda did just say that he could tell him anything and that he didn't judge. Maybe he could even get some advice on how to go about telling someone that you like them. Couldn't hurt. He desperately needed to get this thing off his chest.

"Hey Po?" "Yeah Crane?" "Can you honestly promise me that you won't tell anyone if I tell you my secret?" Po's eyes lit up. "Yeah I promise! Oh is it the one that you like to write love poems when you're alone?" Crane held out his wing hold on Po. "No it's—hey wait, how did you know that?!" Crane glared darkly at Po. The panda quickly threw his paws up in surrender "Hey it wasn't my fault, remember that day when I was carrying that pile of scrolls and crashed into you? Well, later when I was reading through my scrolls I found your poem. I didn't want you to feel embarrassed at me finding your love poem and since you never asked if anyone saw it I assumed you were throwing it away. So I did it for you. I didn't read it if that makes you feel better." Crane sighed in relief and the panda relaxed a little. Remembering that poem, he blushed a little under his hat. It had been for Viper but in the end he chose not to give her the letter. Considering Po had received his letter and hadn't shown it to the world Crane figured that Po was the right choice. "You're a good friend Po. You've got a heart of gold and that's why I have to tell you this.


	4. Taking a little R&R

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm glad you're enjoying the fic! I'm having a lot of fun with it too. Yes, you are going to be seeing more Viper/Crane and Po/Tigress romance. If you're not into that stuff then keep on truckin cause the action's gonna be coming real soon. Anyway, I'd like to thank you guys for all your reviews. Keep'em coming, they really keep me motivated with writing the story. My goal is to get near 50 reviews by the end of this story but it all depends on you guys!**

The bird paused and Po waited patiently for him to continue. Droplets of perspiration started to drip from the avian's forehead as he made his confession.

"I…I love Viper."

Crane stared down at his drink too ashamed to meet his friend's eyes. He expected to hear a gasp of shock or even horror, but instead he heard nothing. Confused, he looked up at the panda who was now smiling very widely at him.

"That's great Crane! Have you told her yet?"

Shocked by his friend's excitement, Crane let his beak hang slightly open for a few moments before answering.

"No…I haven't. I'm afraid she won't like me back."

The large panda gave his friend a 'what are you talking about' sort of look. "So you're just not going to tell her? Listen, I'm not an expert in romance, that's Mantis' profession. But I don't think you'll ever find out if she likes you if you don't tell her how you feel."

"It's not that simple Po…you don't understand." Crane got out of his seat and started pacing back and forth. "Every time I see her, my heart jumps out of my chest and I feel like I'm walking on air. Whenever I'm around her I feel like I can do anything…like I'm unstoppable. But whenever I speak to her I lose it, I can't think, and I get really nervous!"

Po continued to stay seated but never gave the impression that he wasn't listening to his friend. He rested his elbow on the bar table and laid his head on his paw in a reflective sort of way. Crane looked over at his friend to see if he was still paying attention and saw the concern in his eyes which made him feel a little guilty for making the panda suffer with him.

Crane stopped pacing, let his shoulders droop down, and gave out a great sigh of frustration. He suddenly felt very tired. He could feel that knot forming in his throat again as he spoke, "I just don't know what to do. How am I supposed to tell her how I feel if I can't even hold a conversation with her?"

"Crane I know you have it in you." Po said getting up and walking over to his friend. "I've seen you do incredible things, things I would never think of doing, and you do it without even second guessing yourself. If you can risk your life in battle then I'm sure you can handle talking to a girl you like."

"But how Po?!" He said shaking his head, "How do I know she won't reject me? What if I tell her, and she looks me in the eyes, and laughs in my face?! Or worse, what if she's disgusted with the idea of me liking her and she shuns me for the rest of her life?" He shook his head and stared at the floor. "I don't know if I could take that." Crane tilted his hat to cover his face but that didn't stop Po from seeing how much torment he was in. It was time for him to help his friend.

"Okay, so maybe you tell her and it doesn't work out. Fine. But maybe you tell her and she ends up liking you back. You're thinking of all the bad things that could happen; don't throw in the towel before even trying. And come on Crane, Viper is like the nicest person I know. She wouldn't hurt you like that. Besides there's a pretty good chance that she'll like you. And if not, then you'll just have to get on with your life and keep searching. But either way you won't know if you don't try."

Crane scratched his throat slightly as he mentally weighed out his options. He stared down at the glass that he was still holding but it didn't have any answers for him. He looked back at the panda, "I don't know Po. This is really important to me and I don't want to mess it up."

"Hey pal, you've got it easier than me." The panda said, shrugging his shoulders with a slight grin.

That caught the bird's attention. He took a step towards his friend arching an eyebrow inquisitively, "What do you mean? Do you like someone too?"

Po looked away slightly, "Actually, yeah I do. It's Tigress, I mean…I really like her but no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to get her attention unless it's because I'm doing something wrong. I've always sort of had a crush on her ever since I was a cub but now that I've been around her…I think its grown to be something more. When I first got to the Jade Palace, all I could do was stand in awe of you guys…I mean, you guys had been my heroes ever since I was little. Now I'm actually a part of the team and she still treats me like a rookie."

"That's because you are a rookie." Crane replied matter-of-factly.

Po rolled his eyes, "_I know_…but she doesn't have to treat me like one; I did after all stop Tai Lung and Lord Shen."

Crane nodded in agreement, "Yeah you did, and were all thankful, even Tigress. She just has a hard time showing her emotions." He put his wing on the panda's shoulder to reassure him. "Deep down she really does care about you. You want my opinion?" Crane placed his wing under his beak, "She's giving you a hard time _because_ she cares about you. When the others and I were first starting out in the Jade Palace we never got more than two words out of her, and replies were usually accompanied with a deep set glare. But with you it was different, she even hugged you. I didn't think she was capable of doing that!"

They both shared a laugh at that last comment. Partly because it was true and partly because they desperately needed something to lift the mood.

"Thanks Crane, that helps."

The bird went back to sitting down at the bar and the panda followed after him, "Hey, I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true Po. Follow what your heart tells you and give her some time. She'll come around eventually." In the back of his mind Crane could here himself think, '_That's pretty good advice, maybe you should follow it too._' "Food for thought anyway, speaking of food. I'm pretty hungry right now so you must be starving. Let's get something to eat, it's on me." The panda grinned, "Are you sure about that?" Crane smirked, "Just don't clean me out this time. I don't want a repeat of what happened at Ming Yen's Restaurant. You still owe me a hefty sum of money from that fiasco."

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" "Not until you pay me back! I had to clean dirty dishes all night to pay off the owner for all the food you ate. How you can eat through an entire month's wages in one meal will never cease to amaze me." The pair of warriors laughed again and spent the rest of their night enjoying the food and hospitality of the inn.

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"Aha! It's a royal flush." Yelled Mantis.

"Looks like we win again!" cheered Monkey despite the growing moans from the four other players at the table. Two wolves sat at one end of the table. They looked oddly similar to Monkey, almost like they were sharing the same face, except one of them had been badly marred over the left side of his muzzle leaving dark blotchy patches of fur where he had been cut. They both wore black assassin robes. On the left side of Monkey sat a very lean looking lynx who was currently busying himself with drinking whatever was inside his drink. On his shoulder stood Mantis and on the right of them slouched an elderly boar who, from the moment they met him, unleashed a flowing string of curses as he spoke. The boar, who wore a filthy looking green cloak, slouched in his chair and gave a loud snort.

"Argh! I don't get it! That was three games in a row, hower ya that good?!"

Mantis was currently piling all the yuan into a big pile, "Just lucky I guess. Anyone wanna go another round?"

"Go another round! How can we go another round?! You've won five times in a row!" shouted a nearby lizard that was dressed in a dark green mercenary outfit.

"Hey it's not my fault that you don't know when to call it quits squinty" countered Mantis.

The reptile's eyes glared fiercely at the young praying Mantis, "Watch yourself bug. You're lucky that my species is above eating insects, otherwise—"

"Buddy I would _love_ to see you try!" Mantis joked.

Tensions started to rise until the old boar decided to add his two cents to the conversation.

"I think I've wasted enough money today, I'm gonna head back. Besides I'm all out of money I don't have anything to offer" huffed the old boar.

There was a short pause followed by a brief chirping sound before Mantis took a quick glance under the table. "That's a nice pair of shoes you got there."

The boar let loose another wave of incoherent curses before speaking again, "You couldn't even wear my shoes you twit, they're too big!"

"Yeah, but I'm sure they'd fetch a nice sum in the market" the praying mantis replied smugly.

The old looking boar shot up out of his seat and scowled angrily at the insect, "I'm getting out of here while I still have a chance to leave with all my clothes. If the rest of you boys are smart, you'll leave too." The boar got up, called Mantis a 'stupid cricket', and then left muttering something about never gambling again.

They all watched the old boar go before they noticed the golden langur placing the pile of gold inside a small brown pouch. "Alright, it's getting late. We had fun! Nice doing business with you! Bye!" He said quickly as he tucked the small pouch into his sash and started to make his way back to the bar.

The two wolves shared a worried glance with one another before getting up to follow the golden langur."Wait a minute!" One wolf said before the other interrupted him. "You've got to give us a chance to win our money back!" Immediately, the two assassins blocked off master Monkey's exit.

"Hey it's not our fault that you guys aren't that good at poker. Now if you'll excuse us" said Monkey rubbing the back of his head

"They must be cheating!" The wolves whined together.

"Yeah! No one's that good at this game!" added the lizard.

"Well we _are,_ so deal with it" stated Mantis. "You can't honestly think that all we do is train every day. Now if you'll excuse us, were going to—"

"You really must be new to this place." interrupted the tall lynx, who finished what was left of his drink before placing it on the table and getting up to confront the two warriors. We're part of the shades syndicate. And nobody messes with the shades. Not even members of the furious five. We don't care who you are or where you come from. If you cheat us, you're dead."

"Oh is this happening?! Because I really hope it is!" said mantis as he moved into his attacking stance.

The two wolves were about to draw their blades when the lizard stopped them with a quick gesture from his hand. They looked at one another, then at the duo standing before them before looking strangely at the lizard.

The lizard's red gaze never left Monkey and Mantis as he spoke. "Sheath your weapons. We'll _deal_ with them, but not now. Not here. Better watch your backs because we'll be looking for you punks." The wolves did so grudgingly, emitting low sounding growls to signal their reluctance.

"Oh we're so _scared_" mocked Mantis. "Give it up pal. You're just about as scary as a newborn piglet."

The lynx stared coldly at the two warriors before speaking. "This isn't over. You were warned."

And with that, the three shade members quietly stalked out of the inn. Leaving the two trouble makers to think about what just happened and what might happen later.

Monkey waited until all of the shade members to leave the inn before letting out a loud sigh of relief and sliding back in his seat. "Wow. That was a close one." He said grinning at Mantis.

"Ha, no kidding! But we still could have taken them without breaking a sweat." Mantis said chuckling.

Hmm maybe, but the Shade syndicate itself is a dangerous organization to get in trouble with. If they remember who we are then we might be in serious trouble.

"Well, let's hope they left drunk. By the way, who are the shades anyway?"

Monkey nearly choked on his drink. "What! How can you not know what the Shade syndicate is?"

There was a short pause followed by a light chirping sound before Mantis answered his friends question with the same reply he usually gave him. "Are you serious? I'm not a big fan of details dude. I just know that if someone is evil, I will be there to stop them. I don't care who they are or what fancy club they're in. I fight bad guys therefore I am." He said crossing his pincers.

Monkey rolled his eyes knowing that was the answer he was going to get. "Oh yeah, not even if the Shades are led by the Wu Sisters."

Mantis' eyes grew to the size of saucers when he heard that. "We better get out of here."

"The sooner the better" Monkey added.

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Viper and Tigress

While the boys were keeping themselves busy downstairs, the girls were enjoying a well deserved nap in their room. It wasn't very big by any means but after a day like today they would take anything if it meant having a few hours of rest. The room was clean, and showed no evidence of it ever being used despite a few nicks in the furniture and walls. The two warriors slept in separate, but identical looking beds. Viper had slipped under her covers and instantly fell asleep. And after a few minutes of meditation, so did Tigress.

Viper was dreaming of when she used to go to ribbon dance tournaments to earn her father's approval. She had started out as a child, and with years of practice, had become one of the best dancers in her village, maybe even the valley. She dreamt of how she had finally achieved her goal and became the best ribbon dancer in all the land when she placed first in China's national intermediate ribbon dancing competition. Her father was so proud of her that he smiled just as he had when she rescued him from the gorilla crime lord, Boss Nass.

Viper saw her father smiling at her and instantly smiled back at him. But as soon as she opened her mouth there was a loud gasp from the crowd and everyone started pointing at her and whispering.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" she asked anxiously.

Even her father's smile which had filled her heart with joy had now twisted into a stare of horror as the crowd's whispers grew louder and louder.

"Her fangs are missing!"

"What happened to her fangs?"

"It looks awful!"

Viper couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What are you talking about? My fangs are right where they've always been." She raised her tail to touch one of her fangs but to her horror they weren't there. Panicking she started to swish the tip of her tail back and forth inside her mouth to uncover her fangs but to no avail. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

"My fangs are gone…no No **_NO!_** This can't be happening!" She desperately cried out. The crowd that surrounded her faded away replaced by a foggy haze as she wrapped her tail around herself. "This can't be happening…I was so close"

Viper softly cried into her tail for a few moments before feeling something on her shoulder. She looked up and was surprised to see none other than Crane standing over her with a sad look on his face.

"Don't cry, it's going to be okay." He said reassuringly.

"How do you know?" she said turning her back to him.

He smiled suddenly, "Because you are special"

Viper could feel her heart melt inside of her as she turned back around to face the one friend who had always been there for her. Only to realize that he was gone.

"Crane? Where did you go?"

"Time to wake up Viper" a mysterious voice called out to her.

"Wait, what? I'm asleep?!" her jaw dropped as the next sudden realization hit her like a second ton of bricks. "Oh no, then that means!"

"You guessed it!" said the dream voice.

"Aww man, that just isn't right" was the last thing that the dreaming serpent said before waking up.


	5. Pulling Security

**AN: Sorry about the long break, I've been really busy getting ready for college finals. I also wanted to say thanks for all the reviews. They're really fun to read and keep me motivated on finishing chapters. Speaking of chapters, here's the next one. **Enjoy**!**

XX

Nearly broke from the sudden loss of his spending money, Crane sat facing the bar table nonchalantly swirling his wine glass. The contents inside swished around before colliding into the transparent wall as he lifted the drink up for another gulp. It was his third glass of water. Some of the thugs were still giving him nasty looks. And despite the fact that Crane knew they were no match for him, they were still making him nervous. And when he was nervous he got thirsty. He took another sip from his glass and looked over at Po who was busy telling some of the more eager adventurers the time when he and Monkey faced the deadly Scorpion. He always enjoyed hearing that story. Unfortunately Po never heard about what happened to Tigress while he was away. Tigress made him swear on his honor that he would never speak of what happened to her while Po was on that mission.

He smirked slightly as he remembered all the things he had to go through just to keep his friend relaxed. Po was _way_ off if he thought fighting Scorpion was harder than dealing with Tigress when she's sick. It didn't help that Shifu had that _wonderful_ idea to round up all the other sick children and put them in a room with the sick feline. She never thanked him for his help but…she never needed to. Crane would have helped her anyway. He couldn't stand to see her suffer like that, especially not by herself. She had needed someone to be there for her whether she wanted to admit it or not. Crane would always be there for his friends when they needed him. No matter what cost. The bird took one last gulp from his drink and placed the small glass on the table.

The guys opted to pull security while master Viper and Tigress took a nap in the upper room. At the moment, this meant playing poker with thugs and telling stories at the bar. The members of the furious five and Po all knew what missions were like. And if there was one thing they kept to heart, it was that no matter what you're doing, you're never completely safe. Unexpected things can happen in the wilderness and plans have a tendency of going bad in battle. The only thing that was assured was that each one of their lives would be at risk. Not that it really bothered him; they had all trained from young ages to serve the role of a guardian. The risk came with the job, and Crane had to admit that the risk had always been a part of the fun for him.

He had to admit he was pretty nervous though. This _was_ after all the Emperor that he would be protecting. If anything went wrong…no, nothing would go wrong. He'd make sure of that. He grinned suddenly, "Wow. Po's right, I do worry too much!" He knew that they needed to meet with the Emperor and await his further instructions. Most likely to escort his highness and guard him during his negotiations with Japan. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. There would be a time for planning; right now he needed to relax. And so the avian attempted to have a good time and push back the thought of meeting with the Emperor and whatever enemy that was so dangerous that it concerned Shifu and the other masters enough to make them hold a meeting concerning the matter. A chance to guard the Emperor was a prestigious service and they all knew it. Well, except maybe Po, but Tigress would make sure to keep him in line. At least, Crane prayed to God that she would.

Although Crane had to admit that he was enjoying himself, he couldn't help but think there was something odd about Tigress not pulling security with them. Tigress was a very _hands-on_ type of person. Usually when pulling security, she would stand watch with her team, making sure they were alert and focused. Vigilance was her thing after all. But this time she left them to pull security by themselves while she and Viper slept upstairs. This meant one of two things. Either she was trying give them some time of their own to relax and prepare for the journey or she was taking one of her infamous power naps and needed Viper to wake her up. The second answer seemed more likely. Crane winced inwardly. If she is taking a power nap, then God help Viper.

XXXXXXX

Viper's unconscious body lay smothered beneath the covers of her bed. Her slender form writhed beneath the thin cotton sheets as she attempted to escape her dream turned nightmare. The snake's eyes shot open and she let out a loud gasp as she awoke. She continued to breathe heavily for a few moments as she tried to catch her breath. And that's when a certain realization dawned on her.

She shot up suddenly, "My fangs!"Viper quickly opened her jaw and gently prodded around for her fangs praying to God that they would still be there.She relaxed when she felt them and let out a long sigh of relief."Good, they're still there." She said as she plopped her head back against her pillow. A slight frown formed on her lips as she realized that she her bed was drenched in sweat. "Eww yuck!" she said in surprise as she quickly slithered out from under her covers and moved to the foot of the bed before lying down again. She felt dazed for some reason and her body ached as if she'd just run a marathon.

"That was definitely _not_ the type of nap I was hoping for." she sighed in frustration. She tried to relax and remember what had happened in her dream, and that's when the entirety of the dream came rushing back to her_. It felt so real, like the nightmares I had as a child. _Viper thought about that for a few seconds before another scary thought suddenly shot through her mind._ I hope I didn't wake Tigress! Last time Po accidently woke her up and she nearly punched him through a wall! _Taking a deep breath and praying for the best, Viper slowly looked over and was relieved to see her large feline friend still asleep in her bed.

Relieved, Viper let out a slight sigh and grinned at her teammate. "Dead to the world again huh Tigress?" she asked smugly. There was no response from the large tiger. Viper smiled, shaking her head at the sleeping cat. After getting Tigress to open up to her, Viper had learned a lot about the ferocious leader of the furious five. But one of the things that all of her comrades had learned right at the beginning, was the fact that Tigress was a heavy sleeper and how dangerous the tiger could be in her early wake-up stage. Since she wasn't conscious of her actions, Tigress couldn't control her immense strength. And that meant serious danger to anyone who dared to disturb her while she slept.

The large feline could easily spring out of bed at the slightest sounds and not get any sleep during a mission and still be fine, which is part of what made her such a great warrior. But if the large cat caught a long enough break in the action, or knew she would need a lot of rest for the next mission, she would use her meditation training to fall into a deep sleep. This was her self-proclaimed power nap, and she only did it when she knew she'd be safe and protected. Viper assumed that since she was in the same room with her, Tigress must have thought this inn was as good a place as any to take one.

The serpent sighed pitifully at the slumbering feline, the poor tiger could stay awake for days on end and be fine but Viper swore she had to be, without a doubt, the heaviest sleeper she had ever known. Nothing short of violently shaking the feline would wake her up from a power nap. And that of course would come with a serious risk. Anyone who was brave enough to wake her up would usually have to suffer a few strikes before she came to her senses. Viper knew from experience what that was like. She shuddered mentally as she remembered the time that she had actually almost been thrown out a window on a particularly bad morning. _Heaven help the poor soul who ever tries to wake her from a nightmare…if she even has nightmares. _Viper chuckled to herself_._ _Who am I kidding! She probably gives nightmares to nightmares! _She giggled at that last thought before moving over to her friend.

The green tree viper was just about to wake her friend when a tempting thought crossed her mind. This would be a good time to do a little investigating. But first she had to make sure her friend was stone asleep, otherwise, Tigress would absolutely _kill_ her for this! Ever since Gongmen City, the serpent had been trying to figure out whether Tigress liked Po or not. She already knew that the panda liked Tigress before then; she could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke with her. It wasn't hard to figure out. But Tigress was a different story entirely.

The tiger hid her emotions _so_ well that understanding her feelings for Po was going to be a much tougher mission than Viper originally thought it would be. At one point Viper considered giving up. That is, until she saw those two time stopping hugs in Gongmen City. She was just as shocked as the rest of the team when Tigress hugged Po at the prison. The tiger had never shown that much emotion in public before. And when Po hugged the big feline after defeating Lord Shen and she allowed it. It became very apparent to the snake that there might have been more to the duo's relationship than it seemed.

However, as time passed Tigress seemed to revert back to her familiar hardcore self. Afterward, everyone else believed the events concerning Po and Tigress came from tension and stress from the battle. That there was _no_ way that the Tigress they knew would _ever_ do something like that. But Viper knew better…or at least she thought she did. She had a pretty good feeling Po liked Tigress. Now she'd just have to find out if Tigress liked him back. And she'd be darned if she let the feline's cold shell stop her from finding out the truth for poor Po. True, she was doing this to discover the truth for herself, but she was also doing it for Po. He lifted the heavy burden that the five and master Shifu shared when he defeated Tai Lung. She owed him big time and this was going to even up the score.

She quickly moved over to her friend's bed and spoke casually, "Hey Tigress, are you awake?" A few seconds passed without a response. "Yeah, didn't think so." She chuckled. Sure that she was safe now, Viper moved even closer to her friend. "Listen Tigress, I'm going to find out the truth one way or another. And I'm sure there's an easier way to find out…but this is going to be way more fun! No hard feelings. Well maybe a little," She thought as she stopped next to Tigress's ear, remembering how Tigress had tied her into a knot the week before in a sparring match.

_Consider this payback!_ Viper thought smugly as she began whispering in the feline's ears. "Tigresssss, Tigresssss. Caaan you hear meee?"

A few seconds passed and Viper started to think that her plan wasn't going to work but then she heard her friend softly purr out the words 'hear you'. Viper grinned devilishly. _It's working! "_Tigressss you are innn a peaceful areaaaa… you are calmmm…aaand you feel saaafe. Doo you uunderstaaand?"

Again the tiger purred, "Calm…safe…" Viper stifled her giggles with her tail. In the back of her mind she felt the urge to make her Tigress think she'd been turned into a chicken but she pushed the thought aside. She was looking for one thing right now.

"Listennn to mee…and give meee your answerrr" Viper whispered.

Tigress shifted her head a little and Viper nearly threw herself to the opposite end of the bed in surprise but she restrained herself. She was so close to finding out the answer…she couldn't stop now. Not when she's so close. Tigress wrinkled her nose. "Answer?"

"Yes, Dooo you looovee Po?" Viper asked desperately.

"Mrmm _Po"_ Tigress smiled slightly. Viper was nearly bursting with excitement. Tigress was actually about to say it.

"Yes come on!"

"I love you Po…" she purred.

"Yes!" Viper cheered before quickly covering her mouth, afraid to startle the sleeping tiger. Satisfied, Viper turned around to go back to her bed when she saw two arms reaching for her. Tigress' arms wrapped around her body and pulled the snake into a deep bear hug nearly crushing the green tree viper. Instinctively, Viper wrapped her tail around her friend's wrist and tried to pull it away from choking her but it was no use. Tigress was just too strong.

"Ack! Tigress, let go…please! I won't tell anyone, I promise" Viper gasped between her breaths as she struggled in her friends embrace. She tried to look up at her friend and to her horror; she saw that Tigress was still asleep. Viper could feel the blood rushing to her head. It wouldn't be much longer until she would slip into unconsciousness and she knew it. With only a few seconds of air left, Viper put her last reserve of strength into escaping the lethal death grip. In one last mighty effort Viper pulled the tiger's arm just far enough away for a gap to open up for her to squeeze through. She quickly slid through the gap and let out a loud coughing noise followed by several deep gulps of air as she moved to the other side of the room.

Once Viper knew she was out of grabbing distance she immediately fell to the floor exhausted from the traumatic death hug. Her breaths were still pretty shallow and her scales were glistening with sweat again. It gave her a cold chill down her spine. The adrenaline that had saved her just a few moments ago had come and gone leaving her sprawled out on the floor completely exhausted. Viper slowly rolled onto her back. She felt as if she was in a thick pit of mud, every movement was met with subtle resistance. Once she made it to her back, Viper straightened out her body and started to regulate her breathing. After a few seconds she was starting to feel a little better. Viper took a few more deep breaths just to be safe and then rose up from the old wooden floor.

"Hmph! Well that wasn't very fun at all!" Viper pouted while rubbing her throat. Her voice was a little hoarse but that would go away in time. Her attitude quickly changed when she realized that she had actually got Tigress to share her feelings for Po. Well…with a little help.

"That's the last time I get mixed up with someone else's love life…well, after telling Po of course!" She added grinning to herself as she continued to rub her neck. _I still can't believe I actually got her to tell me she loves Po! I can't wait to tell him the good news! He is going to be so excited! Well he better be after all the trouble I just went through! _Viper chuckled before hitting a sudden realization.

"It sure is stuffy in here. I better see if I can open a window and get some fresh air." The serpent slithered up to the wooden shutters, unlatched the bolt, and took a look outside. To her surprise, Viper gazed out the window just in time to catch the sunset. The scarlet sky was spread out across the landscape like crimson blood smeared smoothly over a large canvass. It was breathtaking, especially with the golden sun slowly sinking into the valley. Glimmers of light reflected off the still water of a local port set off in the distance, sending slithers of rose coloured rays of light through the forest below. Eventually the dimming sun was tucked away behind the seemingly endless rolling hills. And the clouds floated by in soft cotton like puffs of pink as the sky became darker...

The serpent sighed with a smile, "That's our cue Tigress. It's time to wake up."

Tigress didn't budge. Viper sighed heavily, "That's what I thought you'd do. You aren't going to make this easy are you? It doesn't matter. If I got you to talk in your sleep, then waking you up shouldn't be too hard. But this time I'm not going to get choked or punched! I'm trying to limit my near death experiences to once a day only." Tigress in return made no reply.

One way or another, I'm getting you out of that bed!" Viper tried to act as intimidating as she could as she gave her the ultimatum.

"Tigress either you wake up right now or I'll force you to get up! I'm serious! Don't make me do it!" She paused to see if her bluff was going to work. Tigress simply rolled the other way.

Viper sighed in exasperation, "I'll never get her to wake up without getting myself pummeled…No, it's not going to come to that. Not again…" Viper thought for a few seconds watching her friend sleep for a few moments before grinning ear to ear. She had a really evil idea for how to deal with the stubborn tiger.

She spoke to Tigress in a simple matter of fact type of tone, "Well Tigress, I for one am not going to get punched this time and I'm definitely not getting choked again so…If you don't get up right this instant I promise that…let's just say you'll regret it. So what do you have to say about that?" Again no response, just as Viper predicted. She smirked mischievously, "I was hoping you might feel that way. Okay, but remember you asked for this!"

The serpent grabbed her room key from the drawer and headed outside to gather the others and find a suitable instrument of torture for Tigress. She shut the door and locked it before checking the other two rooms for her friends. She knocked on Crane and Po's room but she didn't get an answer. Then she made her way over to Mantis and Monkey's room but again there was no reply.

"Leave it to the boys to waste Yuan on rooms that they aren't even going to sleep in," she sighed shaking her head. I hope they at least did something productive while we were sleeping. Since both rooms were empty she decided to try her luck downstairs. Immediately Viper started looking for Monkey and Mantis, knowing that those two would be the easiest of the four to find. She was right of course; in a place like this the two masters would be sure to stick out like a sore claw. Master Mantis was known for being impatient and loud and Master Monkey for being a prankster and a joker. Viper just hoped that the two knuckleheads hadn't gotten into too much trouble while she and her friend were gone. It wasn't too long before she found them however she had to admit she was pretty shocked at what she saw.

At one of the darker corners of the inn, Master Monkey and Mantis sat in a small wooden booth cautiously eyeing the other customers inside the inn. Both of them were wearing dark robes and had their hoods on to cover up their faces. If it hadn't been for Viper noticing what looked like a moving rag with antennae, she might not have ever found them. When she finally got to them she noticed that Mantis was eating a small piece of sushi as Monkey kept his eyes glued on the front entrance of the inn. Both of them looked very serious for some reason. That wasn't a good sign. Monkey noticed her and suddenly jumped out of his seat to greet her.

"Viper! We are so happy to see you!" said the golden langur as he hurriedly ushered the snake to an open seat on the booth.

Viper smiled, a little confused at her friend. "What do you mean? It's only been a few hours."

Now Mantis turned around. The small insect jumped up from the table and landed on the simian's shoulders. "Yeah, well…a lot can happen in a few hours."

Still smiling, Viper had to ask what the bug meant by that. And after Monkey told her what happened at the card game, she really wished she hadn't but that was life for you. At this point Viper's smile had completely vanished, replaced by a deep set frown. She glared at the duo and hissed as she struggled to resist the temptation of strangling the two of them with her bare tail. They were still her friends, so she would have to help them out of the situation they were in. But of all organizations to cross, the Shades were the worst. Mantis was the first to speak. The bug put up his pincers to show his surrender, "Now…now Viper, don't look at us like that, we didn't mean it, I swear!"

Viper sighed, letting go of her glare, "I know you didn't, but _gee_ Mantis really? What were you thinking?! How could you say that to a Shades member? They're like the largest crime syndicate in China!"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know who they were? I didn't know, but now I do, and I won't make the same mistake again. I Promise." Mantis made a crossing gesture over his abdomen with his pincers.

"Yeah, especially if the Shades find you." Monkey added.

"Thanks pal, very helpful." Mantis said flatly.

Viper turned away from them making a loud 'hmph!' sound as she did so, "Well I hope you at least got something out of all the trouble you got yourselves into."

The two pranksters grinned as Master Monkey pulled out a large brown sack from his pack. "You wanna see?"

They opened the sack and Viper couldn't believe her eyes. The bag was filled to the brim with Yuan. It must have at least been over two hundred by the size of the bag. Viper had to admit, her friends were trouble makers but if there was one thing she could count on them to do, it was getting money.

"And you won this fairly?" asked Viper a little suspiciously as she continued to stare at the sack of Yuan.

"Viper! I'm hurt. Do you honestly think _I _would do such a thing?!" gasped Monkey as he gestured to himself looking slightly hurt at her accusation.

Viper stared flatly at the golden langur for a few moments. "Monkey, the specific fact that you _are _who you _are_ is _exactly_ what makes me think you would do that. _Especially_ after hearing about how you cheated Po out of 30 Yuan last week!"

Surprised, Master Monkey quickly checked around him to make sure the panda hadn't heard before turning back to face the green serpent. Viper could see the nervousness in his eyes. "Shhh! He could hear you!" Whispered Monkey, gesturing with his hands for her to keep her voice down.

"Oh good, so you know where he is then?" She eyed him slyly.

Yeah, and I'll show you where but you have to promise you won't say anything about the Yuan. Deal?"

The golden langur held out his hand and waited for the serpent to shake it. Viper's tail moved over to shake the master's hand but pulled back just before the frustrated simian could shake with it. "On one condition, I need you to get a bucket full of water and place it outside Tigress's door. Got it?"

Monkey nodded his head in compliance. He was about to ask why but thought against it. He was already in hot water. Better to not question the snake's authority if he didn't want to get in trouble with Po. Viper, who was silently glad that she called her friend out in the first place, wrapped her tail around his hand and shook on it. It was about time for the golden langur to learn that no matter how good you are, you can always get caught.

Mantis made a slight coughing noise to get their attention, "Hey guys, far be it from me to be the voice of reason, but we better get out of here before those Shades come back for their money with the rest of their gang."

Viper nodded. "He's right, where did you see Crane and Po again?"

Monkey pointed over towards the brighter end of the inn. "Last time I saw Po, he was with Crane at the bar over there."

"Great! I'll go get them and meet with you guys upstairs for a surprise."

"Like what?" asked Mantis.

'You'll see, just make sure you get that bucket' was the only reply the green tree viper gave in return before slithering over to the bar.

"What do you think she meant by that? Asked Mantis.

"Buddy, sometimes it's better not to ask."

XXXXXXX

To Viper's surprise, she found Po laughing with a group of thugs at the end of the bar. On closer approach she saw that Crane was sitting at the other end of the bar. His wings were resting on the table and the tips of his feathers were pressed together under his beak. His eyes were fixed on a small drink on the counter in front of him. As Viper got closer, it became apparent that her friend was lost in deep thought. She couldn't help but wonder what he might be thinking about. When she finally got to the bird, she saw that he was meditating. She swiftly leapt onto a nearby stool. "What are you thinking about Crane?"

Crane opened his eyes and turned to face his fellow master. "Hey Viper, It's nothing. How was your nap?"

Viper heard the sudden change in conversation but pretended to not notice. If Crane didn't want to talk about it, then that was his choice. Reluctantly, she answered his question.

"Hmph! Tigress nearly strangled me up there!"

Crane's eyebrows arched in surprise. "So she was taking a power nap?"

"No Crane, she strangled me because I asked her to." Viper said sarcastically.

Crane shrugged with a grin. "Whatever suits you I guess, I don't judge."

Viper rolled her eyes at him and tried not to laugh.

"Did you have fun with Po?" she asked.

"Yeah, we had a pretty good time despite the fact that I'm nearly out of money now."

Viper gasped, "Oh Crane, you didn't try to pay for Po again did you?" She sucked her teeth at the bird when he didn't reply. "How much?"

The bird produced a small piece of paper from his vest and gave it to the snake. She briefly read the writing on the paper and gave it back to Crane, who simply folded it, and placed it back in his vest pocket. Viper couldn't help but grin at her friend, shaking her head in disbelief of how much money the bird just spent. The bird grinned back at her despite his current circumstances.

"Y'know Crane, I distinctly remember warning you that something like this would happen but I never would have guessed it would cost you seventy Yuan. That's a lot of money."

"Yeah, you're telling me. But it was worth it." Crane said with a smile. "Is Tigress up yet?"

Viper shook her head and Crane sighed a little bit. "It's alright Viper, I remember what happened last time. You don't have to wake her again, I'll do it."

Viper shook her head at him. "Oh no, it's not like that at all! I want to wake her up this time."

"Really, after what she almost did to you last time?"

"She won't get the chance this time. I have a plan to wake her up without being thrown out a window or being pummeled."

Crane arched a brow at her suspiciously. "What _kind_ of plan?"

"It's a surprise. Do you want to come?"

Crane shook his head. "No thanks, whatever your scheming I don't want any part of it."

"Okay, suit yourself" Viper said before moving towards Po.

Crane quickly got up. "Hold on Viper, there's one last thing."

"Yes?"

"Whatever you're about to do, don't bring Po into it. Tigress already wants to use him as a living punching bag despite his attempts to become friends with her. It wouldn't help his cause for Tigress to see him in the room when you prank her."

Viper felt the urge to tell Crane what she found out right then and there but she forced the temptation aside. There would be a time for that later.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Alright, I'll just go with Monkey and Mantis. Remember, were leaving as soon as we wake her."

Crane tilted his hat over his face "Sure, just get me when she's up."

She quickly grabbed Crane's vest and pulled the bird down with her tail making him meet her gaze. She looked very serious now. "You don't understand. We'll be running for our lives. The second she wakes up…we're gone…understand?"

"Yeah, I think I got the picture now." he said nervously.

Viper nodded, let go of his vest, and quickly vanished into the crowd. Crane watched her go. There was a little bit of surprise in his eyes as he self consciously tilted his hat back to its usual position. All he could say was, "What a women."

"Hey Crane, was that Viper?"

Crane snapped out of his trance and saw Po followed by a four clouded leopards. "Yes, she said we'd be leaving real soon so we better grab our gear."

"Aww, but you can't leave now!" whined one of the younger adventurers. "You were gonna tell us how you beat Fenghuang in the valley of peace!"

The tallest of the four leopards put his hand on the younger one's shoulder. "Easy Xun." he said with a smile before turning to face Po. "You'll have to excuse our brother dragon warrior. He can get pretty excitable at times."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine. His name is Crane." Po said while gesturing at the bird.

The tall leopard took a step towards Crane and bowed in respect his brothers followed suit behind him. Crane returned the greeting. "Master Crane, I have heard of your escapades and have to say I'm impressed. My name's Zihao by the way." he said gesturing to himself. "As you may have guessed, these are my brothers. I am the oldest of the family, my second brother, Tai, is the big one followed by Hui, he's our strategist, and lastly is our little brother, Xun."

Xun looked up at Zihao, "I'm not that little anymore!"

"Of course you're not, otherwise you wouldn't be here right now." the older brother chuckled.

The young leopard smiled and returned his gaze back to the dragon warrior.

Crane gave the four adventurers a quick look-over. They all seemed to be in their twenties except for the shortest member of the group. He didn't appear much older than sixteen. The smaller leopard was an average height and had a slender build which was very different from his three older brothers who were much taller and had heavier builds. They were all wearing dark blue robes over black tunics. They also wore two thin leather guards over their forearms for what Crane guessed was for protection. From each of their hips hung long pointed swords. Crane was pretty sure the swords weren't for show. Despite his attire, it was pretty obvious to Crane that the Xun had never seen combat before. The leopard's eyes said it all. Eager, naïve, innocent. Xun actually reminded Crane of himself before he became a kung fu master.

Xun finally realized that the avian staring at him and smiled nervously in return. "Can I help you?"

Crane, knowing that he was busted, extended his wing to shake the leopards paw. "My apologies, you reminded me of someone I knew a long time ago."

Xun took his wing and shook it slightly. "That's alright" he quickly turned back to face the dragon warrior.

"So what do you say about one more story huh?" Xun asked Po.

"As much as I would like to, I can't. Sorry guys, duty calls. I'll tell you it the next time we drop by. I promise." Po said.

"Okay, but don't forget! Xun said as he began to leave the inn with his brothers.

"Don't worry, I won't!" Po said with a wave. He looked back at Crane who was putting on his gear and did the same.

"So Crane, did Viper tell you when we'd be leaving?"

"Not exactly. But I'm sure they'll be here any moment." he said cheerfully.

Po let out a long sigh, "I really wish they'd hurry up, I think I'm already getting bored."

"You're about to get your wish" he muttered under his breath

**ROOOAAARRRRR! **

Crane and Po both nearly jumped at the savage sound that came from upstairs. A loud series of noises followed, a lot of them sounded like very expensive things being broken. Everyone looked up at the ceiling to follow the noise. It was getting closer to the stairs.

Suddenly, a flash of colored fur and scales dashed down the stairs. Monkey and Mantis led the front of the group with Viper slithering closely behind them. They all looked as if they were being chased by death itself, which in this case, might have been true. What Crane saw next brought a small grin to his beak. In the back was a soaking wet Tigress, and she was seething with rage. Crane would have liked to laugh but he liked staying alive much more.

In an instant they were gone. Po quickly ran after them. Crane couldn't believe what he just saw. In the ten seconds that it took them to run down the stairs and exit the building, they had managed to turn over nearly every table in their path.

He shook his head at them. "And _that's_ why Tigress can't leave us to pull security by ourselves." he said to himself with a sigh. "Oh well, I guess I better get going too." And with that the Crane jumped into the air and flew after them leaving everyone inside the inn in a state of complete shock and confusion.

XX

**AN: I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter written. The workload at my school is really demanding. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. I'm leaving to go to Basic training and AIT in February for about fourteen weeks so don't expect anything until I get back May! However since I'll be gone for a while, I was thinking about making a Christmas special. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**

**Woyoyo32:** _Thanks, I thought there'd be some people who might like that!_

**Spillav: **_I'm glad you liked it. Aside from the special I'm thinking about doing, this will be the last one for a while. Don't worry about the action; things are going to be heating up real soon!_


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